Electric trolling motor weed guard

ABSTRACT

A weed guard made of metal rods sits or clamps on an electric trolling loader. Aquatic weeds are gently swept around the propeller instead of becoming entangled with the propeller shaft.

United States Patent 1 TM Jan. 14, 1975 [54] ELECTRIC TROLLING MOTOR WEED 3,035,538 5/1962 Willard 115/42 GUARD FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS lnvemori Dean Todl, 674 19th St, Des 146,029 6/1954 Sweden 115/42 Moines, Iowa 50014 22 Filed; Man 12, 1973 Primary Examiner-Robert J. Spar Assistant ExaminerDonald W. Underwood [21] Appl' 340466 Attorney, Agent, or FirmZarley, McKee, Thomte &

Voorhees [52] US. Cl. 115/42 [51] Int. Cl B63h 5/16 57 ABSTRACT [58] held oi Search 1 15/42 A weed guard made of metal rods Sits or clamps on an [561 iliii lr'fifl t he liil a iiifiad fii fiefilfriifgg UNITED STATES PATENTS tangled with the propeller shaft. 2,355,842 8/1944 Arado 115/42 3,025,825 3/1962 Martinson 115/42 1 Clalm, 4 Drawlng Figures ELECTRIC TROLLING MOTOR WEED GUARD This invention relates to fishing accessories and more particularly with trolling equipment.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a guard for preventing entanglement of weeds in the propeller shaft comprising an assembly of metal rods on a frame that is attachable to the body of the motor. The frame may be a solid piece of sheet metal or constructed in cage form as the rod material itself or as any other suitable material. The frame may be of solid unit construction or open on one side and provided with a screw clamp. The rod extends backwards and outwards, and encircles the propeller when the frame has been fitted over the forward portion of the motor, thus, as the boat moves slowly, weeds that are swept around the forward part of the motor are not brought into the space surrounding the propeller shaft between the motor housing and the propeller.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a weed guard of the type described in which the rodsupporting frame is fixed in form, whether solid or constructed of rod material, so that the guard fits snuggly over the forward portion of the motor. Guards constructed in this manner are intended to be sized to fit various commercial sizes of trolling motors.

Still another object is to provide a supporting frame that is open on one side in a plane parallel to the axis and clamping means provided for reducing the circumference of the frame so that one guard will suit different trolling motor housings.

Yet another object is to provide a guard that is simple and quick in installation and removal, is ruggedly made for long and reliable use, yet can be produced at an extremely low cost thereby appealing to a wide market.

These and other objects will become evident upon a study of the following specification together with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a guard in rigid form suited to use on one-diameter size of trolling motor;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the guard of FIG.

1 shown installed on a trolling motor;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another form of guard in which the supporting frame is open along one side and thereon provided with a size-adjustment and clamping means; 7

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of the guard shown in FIG. 3.

Clearing weeds from the propeller shaft of a trolling motor has always been a nuisance to the fisherman. In a trolling situation the prime requisite is concentration with a minimum of movement on the boat. Periodically having to disturb the routine of trolling with weedclearing cuts into the pleasure of the sport, as any fisherman willattest. Past attempts at providing devices to prevent fouling of thepropeller shaft have been difficult to handle, unreliable or costly. The present invention comprises an entirely dependable weed guard that t can be installed or removed in seconds, yet can be manufactured inexpensively.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a weed guard 10 comprising a collar 11 and two groups of bent rods 12 and 13.The rods are attached to collar 11 as atl4 by spot welding or the like. The central portions of rod 12 are bent outwardly as at 15 and the free end portions 16 are once again bent substantially parallel to portions 14. The two rods 13, instead of being straight in the central portion 15 are here shown in central portion 15a to be bowed out as at 17. The purpose for bent portions 17 becomes evident upon referring to FIG. 2 in particular. In this figure a trolling motor 18 is shown to have a vertical shaft enclosure and motor support 19, a motor mount neck 20, a motor housing 21 having a forward projecting body 22 and a rearward portion 23 mounting a propeller 24. Guard 10 having a collar 11 sized to fit over portion 22 is slipped onto the motor housing until rod 13 snap around neck 20. The guard is thus securely held by bent portion 17, both rotationally and axially. It becomes evident that any weeds coming in contact forward portion 22 will be progressively shunted outwards and away from the propeller area. Entanglement between rear portion 23 and propeller 24 is completely avoided without the least interference to normal performance of the motor.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a modified form 25 shows a weed guard comprising two bent rods 26 formed into almost complete circles and thereto attached by spot welding or the like, rods 12 and, in place of rods 13, a pair of rods 27 positioned so as to shunt aside weeds from a clamping means 28. Means 28 comprises a pair of ears 29 and 30, either attached to or formed directly of the upper pair of rods 12. Ear 29 is provided with a nut 31 welded thereto over a clearance opening and ear 30 is provided with a clearance opening for a bolt 32. Examination of FIG. 4 in particular will show that tightening bolt 32 closes the gap 26a of rods 26. By this simple means weed guard 25 manufactured in one stock item can be used on a range of motor housing sizes.

It should be understood that the preferred embodiment shown does not limit the scope of the invention as the collar may be made in various forms and materials and the rods may be attached, bent and arranged in any suitable manner for deflection of weeds around the propeller area. Likewise, any means of clamping or securing the guard to the motor may be used.

What I now claim is:

1. A weed guard for an electric trolling motor having a vertical motor support, a motor mounted on the lower end of said support and having a horizontally disposed elongated cylindrical housing; said housing having forward and rearward ends; a propeller being rotatably mounted to said motor adjacent said rearward end of said housing; said weed guard comprising:

at least one member extending at least partially around and embracing said housing portion of said motor;

means for detachably securing said member to said housing; a

a plurality of rods fixed to said member and extending rearwardly and radially outwardly therefrom and terminating at a point at least as far rearwardly as the trailing edge of said propeller; the rearward ends of said rods being spaced radially outwardly from said propeller with respect to the rotational axis of said propeller;

the rearward ends of said rods being spaced from one another and being positioned in a circular array around said propeller;

said member extending partially around said housing at a point forward of said vertical support and including two spaced apart ends, said securing means comprising clamping means for securing said spaced apart ends together;

a pair of rods being fixed to said member at a point forwardly of said clamping means and extending rearwardly and radially outwardly so as to be positioned radially outwardly and in covering relation to said clamping means. 

1. A weed guard for an electric trolling motor having a vertical motor support, a motor mounted on the lower end of said support and having a horizontally disposed elongated cylindrical housing; said housing having forward and rearward ends; a propeller being rotatably mounted to said motor adjacent said rearward end of said housing; said weed guard comprising: at least one member extending at least partially around and embracing said housing portion of said motor; means for detachably securing said member to said housing; a plurality of rods fixed to said member and extending rearwardly and radially outwardly therefrom and terminating at a point at least as far rearwardly as the trailing edge of said propeller; the rearward ends of said rods being spaced radially outwardly from said propeller with respect to the rotational axis of said propeller; the rearward ends of said rods being spaced from one another and being positioned in a circular array around said propeller; said member extending partially around said housing at a point forward of said vertical support and including two spaced apart ends, said securing means comprising clamping means for securing said spaced apart ends together; a pair of rods being fixed to said member at a point forwardly of said clamping means and extending rearwardly and radially outwardly so as to be positioned radially outwardly and in covering relation to said clamping means. 